Publication:Plan Blue 2006/Foreword

Plan Blue 2006 is a strategic assessment which is made periodically in order to shape the Future Navy. Decisions must be made today with an eye to the future. We must articulate the Navy we need to be, with the right people, ships and equipment, and the appropriate support, facilities and organisation to fight and win as part of a balanced and networked joint or combined force.

In considering our future, we must not forget the lessons of our past. The Royal Australian Navy has played a crucial role in securing Australia's national interests at home and abroad for over 100 years and must continue to strive for excellence and maintain relevance in a changing world. While the focus of current and future ADF operations will remain joint in nature, experience over the past 15 years demonstrates a continuing need for a Future Navy to operate both jointly and independently.

The Navy must provide maritime forces that contribute to the ADF's capability to ensure the defence of Australia and its direct approaches, contribute to the security of our immediate neighbourhood, and support Australia's wider interests. The Future Navy must continue to be structured for combat operations, based on a concept of a balanced fleet, providing a range of flexible and responsive options to Government across the conflict spectrum.

We must always be prepared to defend our interests under, over, adjacent, and on the world's oceans and seas. At the same time we must keep in mind that what happens at sea is inextricably linked with events ashore. In that context, sea power influences events elsewhere and the Navy must remain poised to deal with credible threats and to protect Australia and our national interests.

Notwithstanding that the RAN mission is to fight and win at sea, we will remain involved in a number of constabulary and diplomatic operations. Our Government has adopted a 'fundamentally maritime strategy' for Australia's security. I expect this strategy will endure for the foreseeable future.

Plan Blue 2006 is my strategic guidance for the evolution of the Future Navy. It articulates Navy's view of the future and the challenges we face. Government policy such as Defence 2000, Defence Update 2003 and Australia's National Security - A Defence Update 2005 and the joint Defence Planning Guidance have informed my guidance. It supports Navy's Future Maritime Operating Concept 2025 and will be implemented through Plan Green and a new follow on strategy titled - The Navy Strategy - Charting the Course to 2025. This strategy will be developed and published by mid 2007 and will be a bridge between Plan Green and Plan Blue. I expect Navy's leaders to begin working toward the Future Navy today. I invite Navy's enabling organisations to join us in that endeavour.

We must scan the future and evolve Navy so that we are prepared to meet the challenges in defence of our nation for the decades to come. I commend Plan Blue 2006 to you.

Vice Admiral R.E. Shalders Chief of Navy November 2006